Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus review: hot and cold pod drinks, with a few small catches

This Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus review is for anyone weighing up a small pod machine that does more than just hot coffee. The Genio S Plus is De’Longhi’s step up from the basic Genio S, and Balance Journal says it’s the one to pick if you want cold drinks and a removable drip tray. It’s £100.00 at Argos (price at time of research, checked 28 Sep 2026), and £99.99 at Dolce Gusto UK at the same check. I haven’t tested this in person. My verdict is based on the listed specs, dated UK prices, owner ratings and the published reviews I name and link below.

Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus review: the short answer

Buy the Genio S Plus if you want a compact pod machine that gives you some control over your drink, with adjustable strength, cup size and temperature, and makes cold drinks as well as hot. Supermarket Dolce Gusto capsules are easy to find and work out at about 31p a cup on the pack I priced (checked 28 Sep 2026).

Who it isn’t for: anyone who drinks lots of lattes with fresh milk. Milky Dolce Gusto drinks use two capsules, and there’s no way to use your own milk. If fresh-milk drinks matter to you, you’ll need a separate frother, and my best milk frothers guide covers the options.

Choose the basic Genio S instead if you only want hot drinks and would rather save a bit. Tech Advisor points out the Plus costs more than most Dolce Gusto machines, and Balance Journal suggests the Plus is only worth it for the cold drinks and removable tray.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who mainly wants a cheap way into pods. At £100.00 at Argos (price at time of research, 28 Sep 2026), the Genio S Plus costs about £60 more than the Tassimo Finesse, which is £39.99 at Currys (checked 28 Sep 2026, a sale price that may end) and has a big range of supermarket pods too.

What it costs right now

• Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus EDG315.B, black: £100.00 at Argos (price at time of research, checked 28 Sep 2026), with no offer or saving shown and home delivery listed at £4.95. See the Genio S Plus at Argos
• Dolce Gusto UK: £99.99 (price at time of research, checked 28 Sep 2026), with no offer shown. I couldn’t confirm whether it’s in stock there. See the Genio S Plus at Dolce Gusto UK
• Capsules: Nescafé Dolce Gusto Americano Intenso (16 servings) cost £5.00 at Asda, Morrisons and Iceland and £5.10 at Sainsbury’s and Tesco, checked 28 Sep 2026 via Trolley.co.uk. Tesco had a 3 for 2 multibuy, which may end.

What you get: specs and what’s in the box

These details come from the Argos listing, which I could only read in a search copy, so it’s worth checking them against the live page. Argos lists up to 15 bar of pressure, a 0.8-litre tank and 1600W of power, at 32.7 x 14.3 x 32.6cm (height, width, depth). There’s an adjustable cup stand, a removable drip tray, a digital display, a descale warning and dishwasher-safe parts, and it switches itself off after a minute. There’s no separate hot-water function. It comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Dolce Gusto UK describes an Espresso Boost option and settings for temperature, intensity and cup size. That’s the main difference from simpler Dolce Gusto machines, where the capsule largely decides everything.

Argos lists the machine in the box, but I couldn’t confirm whether any starter capsules are included, so assume you’ll need to buy a pack.

Who it isn’t for: busy households making several cups in a row. Balance Journal notes the tank is small and the used-capsule bin holds only about six.

The capsules and running costs

The Genio S Plus only takes Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, but they’re stocked in most big supermarkets. On my sums, the Americano Intenso pack above works out at about 31p a cup (checked 28 Sep 2026), and less on a multibuy.

Milky drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos usually use two capsules, a coffee one and a milk one, so expect those to cost noticeably more per cup. I didn’t price a milk-drink pack, so I can’t give you a figure.

On recycling, Real Homes says used capsules need to go through the return scheme rather than your home recycling, and the Which? pod machine guide lists pricey pods among its Dolce Gusto downsides.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants the lowest cost per cup over years. Beans usually win there; see my guide to bean-to-cup machines under £500.

What reviewers and owners say

• Tech Advisor likes how easy and space-saving it is and the choice of drinks, but notes it’s dearer than most Dolce Gusto machines.
• Real Homes finds it simple to use and look after, but warns that pods come out hot and can’t go in your home recycling.
• Balance Journal, a smaller UK site, reviews the basic Genio S and suggests the Plus if you want cold drinks and a removable tray, while flagging the small tank and bin.
• Which? lists drips, no fresh milk and pricey pods as Dolce Gusto drawbacks in its pod guide. I didn’t find a Which? review of the Plus itself.

Buyers on Feefo (De’Longhi UK’s review page) rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 53 reviews, Argos shoppers give it 4.7 out of 5 across 155 reviews, and Dolce Gusto UK shows 4.3 out of 5 from 13 (all checked 28 Sep 2026). Retailer ratings often reflect the first few weeks of ownership, so I’d read it alongside the reviews above rather than instead of them.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a big-name UK test result before buying. I didn’t find one for this exact model.

Genio S Plus vs Tassimo Finesse

Both are small, supermarket-friendly pod machines, and both use two pods for milky drinks.

• Price: the Genio S Plus is £100.00 at Argos (price at time of research, 28 Sep 2026); the Finesse is £39.99 at Currys (checked 28 Sep 2026, a sale price that may end). That’s about £60 in the Finesse’s favour.
• Tank: 0.8 litres on the Genio S Plus (Argos) against 0.7 litres on the Finesse (Currys).
• Control: the Genio S Plus lets you adjust strength, size and temperature; the Finesse reads a barcode and does it for you.
• Cold drinks: the Genio S Plus makes them; I didn’t find that listed for the Finesse.

On value, the Finesse clearly wins while its sale lasts. The £60 gap would buy about a dozen 16-packs of Dolce Gusto capsules at £5.00. The picture changes if the Finesse goes back to its £118.99 was-price at Currys, when it would cost more than the Genio S Plus. So the Genio S Plus only makes sense if you’ll really use the iced drinks and want more say over each cup. My Tassimo Finesse review has the full picture.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who never drinks anything cold and wants to spend as little as possible. Go for the Finesse.

Downsides

• Small tank and bin. 0.8 litres, and the bin holds about six capsules (Balance Journal).
• Milky drinks use two capsules, and there’s no fresh-milk option (Which?).
• Recycling. Capsules go through a return scheme rather than your home bin (Real Homes).
• Drips. Which? lists drips among Dolce Gusto drawbacks.
• Dearer up front than some pod rivals. £100.00 at Argos (price at time of research, 28 Sep 2026) against £39.99 for the Tassimo Finesse at Currys (checked 28 Sep 2026, a sale price that may end).
• Costs more than the basic Genio S (Tech Advisor).

Where to go next

For other pod machines, read my Tassimo Finesse review, Nespresso Vertuo Next review and Nespresso CitiZ review. For fresh-milk drinks, see my best milk frothers. And if you’re open to ground coffee instead of pods, my guide to the best espresso machine under £300 is the place to start.

FAQ

How much is the Genio S Plus? £100.00 at Argos and £99.99 at Dolce Gusto UK (prices at time of research, checked 28 Sep 2026). Neither showed an offer. Prices change, so check the Argos page on the day.

Can the Genio S Plus make cold drinks? Yes. That’s one of the main reasons to choose it over the basic Genio S, according to Balance Journal.

Does it use supermarket capsules? Yes, any Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules, which most big UK supermarkets sell.

Does it come with capsules? I couldn’t confirm that, so plan to buy a pack with it.

How much does a cup cost? About 31p for a single-capsule drink, based on the Americano Intenso 16-pack at £5.00 at Asda, Morrisons and Iceland (checked 28 Sep 2026). Milky drinks use two capsules, so they cost more.